Progress in definition and management of vulnerable phase after hospitalization for heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome with high mortality and morbidity rate. The risk of readmission and death of patients with acute HF is extremely high within 2-3 months after they are discharged from the hospital. This period is termed as the vulnerable phase after hospitalization for HF. The vulnerable phase of HF is the transition stage from acute decompensated HF to chronic stable HF. Thus, optimizing the monitoring and the treatment during the vulnerable phase is very important to improve the prognosis of HF patients. The present article reviews the definition, pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical features and therapies of the vulnerable phase after hospitalization for HF.